Assessing Ad:Tech

When Experian purchased LowerMyBills creating Experian Interactive, the lead generation company had reached a size and scale that seemed tough to increase. Yet, both companies will most likely share the fact that LMB, as it’s known to many in the industry, continued to flourish, making for a better acquisition than either company expected. The same applies to the Ad:Tech conferences, especially New York. When DMG Media acquired JD Events, the show had started to flourish. Last year was, the first NYC Ad:Tech, in at least five years, to reclaim the big ballroom, it almost seemed that the show couldn’t get any bigger. It certainly seemed that the show couldn’t get any bigger at the Hilton.

Fast forward to this year, a record year for total expenditures already in the bag, and a show that felt too big for its environment simply overwhelmed it. Three floors, booths and people in every imaginable space, the show reminds me of how I picture the early days of eBay – doing better than possibly imagined, planned for, and playing catch-up to the growth. What has no doubt become a pinnacle of success for the show’s organizers has become borderline unmanageable for us mere mortals, exhibitors and attendees alike. And, almost all them have asked themselves or been asked this very question, “How was the show?”

Last year, entrepreneur and Internet executive Scott Rewick, known to me as “you almost got it right,” wrote a great piece from the exhibitor’s perspective. This piece looks at it from the attendee perspective. Think of this as, part guide for evaluating this show, but more importantly the framework for future shows. Ad:Tech, and more globally, our industry, has reached a point where simply going without an agenda doesn’t work. Two years ago, even last year, you could show up and expect to get something out of it. You might have had some meetings set up, but even that wasn’t a pre-requisite for having a good show.

After the first day of being there and being asked, “How was the show (so far)?” I knew I needed a way to answer that somewhat empirically. So, call what follows the first ever DM Confidential Tradeshow Assessment and Prioritization Guide. It contains key sections and the relative importance of each. The weight will vary by job function, i.e. a product manager will have different priorities than a marketing manager than an account manager. This particular breakdown blends the three, but applies more to those who deal with external relationships.

• Existing Client Meetings (35%) – talk to someone that comes for a traditional product sales background, sellers of equipment for example, and it surprises them just how much inside sales occurs, i.e. sales relationships that develop without the two parties ever having met. Conferences such as Ad:Tech represent a unique opportunity – a chance for many to see each other in person in a short time frame for less than it would cost to go visit each. Make sure to schedule meetings in advance. Be prompt and be prepared. Be 50% social and 50% agenda driven. 
• New Contacts / Potential Client Meetings (30%) – shows like Ad:Tech act like speed dating for the interactive industry. How many other instances can you almost literally line up a number of prospects and see each during a condensed time period? This rates second to existing client meetings mainly because strengthening existing relationships can lead to more quickly realized gains for an organization. Try and line up half of these meetings before attending, have your prospect list game plan. The other half be diligent in walking the show meeting attendees and those at the booths.
• Learning / Literature / Research (20%) – the sessions offer a great way to transfer knowledge, but they are not the only way. When speaking to existing clients and when speaking to potential new clients, make sure to listen to what they say. Each brings a potentially new perspective and something that can be applied to your work. Make the most of it. Learning something new invigorates and it can turn into actionable items for getting back to work. Strive to learn something that allows you to see the industry and your work in a new light, and ideally takeaway at least one thing that translates into direct action not just insight.
• Fun (10%) – walk around the show floor Tuesday morning, note the lower crowd volumes until later, the pained look on many of the exhibitors, and it doesn’t take long to realize that people have a good time at Ad:Tech. In a parallel way that learning something can invigorate, going out and experiencing the incredible energy of others also in the same industry can in its own way recharge. The trick about the fun component is putting it into perspective. At the end of the day, you attend the shows as a representative of your company, at an expense to your company; have fun but keep it in perspective. 
• Tchotchkies (5%) – we all like getting stuff; some more than others. We don’t necessarily have to be those people, you know, the ones that don’t seem to have anything to do with the Internet advertising space but somehow figure out to register for the floor and see it as their mission to grab as many items as possible. In the end, it’s a balance. Physical stuff helps with the formation of memories and in aiding memory recall. Take a little time to find a few things that you might like, or as most parents seem to do, find something for others – kids, friends, and/or co-workers.

To complete the circle, those putting on the shows should have these points in mind, making sure it can facilitate and accommodate the behavior.

Have your own list? Want to comment on this one? Let’s make sure we all get the most out of this show and future ones.